Sintra, a Glorious Eden -> Bar do Binho

ADDRESS (useful)

SINTRA, TOURIST INFORMATION -
MAIN OFFICE
Praça da República, nr.23
2710 Sintra
phone nr.9231157 / 9241700 fax:9235176

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE DIVISION
Complexo Museológico de São Miguel de Odrinhas
São Miguel de Odrinhas
2710 Sintra
phone nr.9611058

CULTURAL ANIMATION DIVISION
Rua Gil Vicente,nr.3
2710 Sintra
phone nr.9240591 / 9241697 fax:9242101

SPORTS DIVISION
Complexo Desportivo Municipal de Ouressa
Avenida Almirante Gago Coutinho
2725 Mem-Martins
phone nr.9204037 fax:9209646

YOUTHSERVICES
Avenida Dr. Alvaro de Vasconcelos, lote A,
1º esq.-A
2710 Sintra
phone nr.9240542 9234667 fax:9234788

BAR DO BINHO
Praça da República,nr.2
2710 Sintra
phone nr.9230444 fax:9235088

BAR DO BINHO
A place that we try to be different.When you visit us in loco you could buy that bottle of Port which you are looking for since so many time or delight yourself with Portuguese Fine Cheeses and Wines. You can't miss us!

If you want a unique gift to take to your friends back home, we have it! Try our Handicraft section and you will find exclusive terracota, iron, wood and glass handicraft objects, everything around the wine theme what else could it be?

CHURCHES

CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA (National Monument)
Originally built by Dom Afonso Henriques, in the 12th Century, this church has undergone several alterations over the ages, especially in the late 13th Century and early 14th Century and after 1755 earthquake.Nowadays it is a Gothic-Romanesque building of three naves, with ogival arches and finelyworked capitols, one of the few medieval traces that have survived.(1, 5Km from the historical centre / visits are subject to arrangement in advance)

CHURCH OF SÃ0 MARTINHO
2Km from the historical centre

CHURCH OF SÃO MAMEDE
at Janas

CAPUCHOS CONVENT
situated on the Serra De Sintra, 9Km from
the centre of Sintra

Santa Maria Church

FESTIVAL
During the months of June, July and August The Sintra Festival attracts to the region large number of music and dance lovers, owing to the quality of the artists and the programme. The various concerts usually take place in churches, palaces as well as in parks and country estates of the region

FOUNTAINS

PIPA FOUNTAIN
Situated in a quiet row of houses in the old town, it is one of the oldest and quaintest Public Drinking Fountains of the borough.lt already existed in the 14th Century and was restored in its present form by the Town Council in 1787, the spout is incorporated in the design of a barrel of wine, on either side of the inscription referring to the work of restoration there are two splendid panels of the 18th Century tiles, representing Diana and the allegorical figure of justice.

Pipa fountain

GASTRONOMY
The cooking of the region is rich and varied and capable of having a mouth-watering effect on the palate of any fellow diner.

Meat specialities include suckling pig from Negrais, pork in Merçês style, roast goat and roast veal. The coast in the Sintra region has an abundantly delicious rock-bass or sea-bream, a tasty morsel of octopus or sample the mussels and barnacles. You also can taste the regional bread baked in a wood burning oven.And why not, also, with a slice of Queijo Saloio, local cheese made with sheep, goat and cow milks.You can chose between the fresh or mature varieties.

In the case of sweetmeats pride of place must inevitably go to the traditional Sintra cheesecakes Queijadas a time honoured sweetmeat which dates back at least as far as the middle ages. There are several others which are well worth sampling and these include Travesseiros, Pasteis De Pena, Nozes De Colares (walnuts) and Fôfos De Belas which are being made since 1227! Having whetted your appetite we offer one more piece of advice - that you taste all these good things accompanied with the excellent regional wine from Colares

Regional sweets

HANDICRAFT
In the Sintra district handicraft constitute fertile activity with centuries old traditions.Of note the potteries, the wicker objects and furniture, hand-painted tiles and work on Ferro Forjado (iron).

HEATHER
Hot, a little bit windy on the sea coast, fresh on the serra there is the Summer in Sintra region.ln the Winter rains and Sintra is sometimes covered with mists and clouds but after that comes a always warm sun in the Spring

HISTORY
The region now delimited by the district of Sintra has been settled since remote times.It's on a privileged geographical situation and ambient, and the settling, century after century, of a permanent population, together with the abundant archaeological remains, of pre and proto-historic value which you could still see.

During the period of Arab domination The Moorish Castle was built on the tip of the range of hills,

at a height above sea level of 450 metres. Sintra surrendered to the army of Dom Afonso Henriques in 1140 during Reconquest.

In the reign of Dom Dinis (1279-1325) the town was donated to the Queen Santa Isabel and the

daily life of Sintra took on a new dynamism due also to the more frequent and regular presence of the court and the high nobility.From then on new churches were built as well as aristocratic manor houses, mansions and monasteries.

Past century with the installation of the railway from Lisbon to Sintra, in 1887, the town acquired the privileged Summer retreat of the Lisbon middle classes, and it also expanded in urban development, attracting to the town scientists and historians of repute who these began the methodical study of the area and its history.

Moorish Castle

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LIBRARIES
The Municipal Library of Sintra, since 1939, has been installed in The Valênças Palace dated of 1870's.The library occupies the first and second floors with three ample public reading rooms.The library today has about 38000 books and in, recent years the number of readers has exceeded 20000 people per year.The library has become one of the most important and best stocked in Portugal.